St. Albans, Vt - ManufacturesFranklin County, VT Biographies

THE manufacturing interests of St. Albans give employment to a large number of persons. They include the car
and railroad shops of the Central Vermont Railroad Co., the bridge works of the Vermont Construction Co., the extensive
works of the St. Albans Foundry, the Willard Manufacturing Co., and several, others, individual sketches of each
of which follow. St. Albans should and must be a large manufacturing village, situated as it is with the navigable
waters of the lake only three miles distant, and with railroads branching from it in all directions, until it resembles
a huge spider. There is no place in the State where manufacturing interests:could be more advantageously conducted
than here, and mechanics and capitalists are awakening to a knowledge of the fact.

THE ST. ALBANS FOUNDRY.

This concern was established in 1840, and is one of the oldest and most complete establishments of its kind
in the New England States. The works form a group of half a dozen substantial buildings, located opposite the railroad
passenger depot, and are provided with every convenience in the way of improved machinery for the work in hand.
The foundry does a general business in machinery, castings and iron work, and makes a specialty of shafting, pulleys,
gearing and hangers, and general mill work; and manufactures car wheels, railroad and machinery castings, forgings
and agricultural implements. A leading specialty of the works is the manufacture of railway horsepowers, threshing
machines and fodder shredders, and wood sawing machines (circular and drag) to be used with the horse powers, which
are very superior and find a market in all sections of the country. The horse powers are made for one, two or three
horses, and are equipped with speed regulators. The threshers have a vibrating separator and cleaner. The trade
in these machines has attained large proportions, many being exported. Indeed, these machines receive the highest
awards wherever exhibited in competition with similar apparatus, a fact which testifies to their efficacy and superior
construction. The St. Albans Foundry has a high reputation, of long standing, for turning out first class work.

THE VERMONT CONSTRUCTION CO.

This company has been in existence about three years. Its works are located in the old St. Albans Rolling Mill,
and its manufactures embrace bridges, boilers and miscellaneous wrought iron ands steel goods. The works are equipped
with a full complement of first class machinery, which is driven by a powerful Harris-Corliss engine. The Vermont
Construction Co. manufactures iron bridges, steel bridges, iron building work, bolts, rods, nuts, turntables, iron
roofs, etc. Within the past year this company has built bridges in New York State and every State in New England
except Rhode Island. Some of the work of the company is stupendous, and testifies to the ample facilities of the
concern. The largest bridge in New England, 2000 feet long, crossing the east channel of Lake Champlain, from the
mainland to the island of North Hero, was built by the Vermont Construction Co. Another large job in this vicinity
is the breakwater at Rouses Point, N. Y., built under government contract. Other bridges built by the company recently,
are the following: Hartford bridge, Central %Vermont Railroad, 650 feet long, tested with twelve locomotives whose
combined weight was 854 tons; Clark bridge, Williston, Central Vermont Railroad, 600 feet long; West River railroad
bridge, near Brattleboro, one span of 223 feet and another of no feet; highway bridge, 330 feet long, crossing
the Missisquoi River, Sheldon, Vt.; three span girder bridge, with a roadway 40 feet wide, at Dover, N. H.; highway
bridge near Bangor, Me., 115 feet span; a bridge for the Skowhegan (Me.) Water Co., 130 feet long; five bridges
for the town of Potsdam, N. Y.; bridges in Brasher, N. Y., Tumbridge and Newbury, Vt., and Alstead, N. H.; three
span bridge, Readsboro, Vt., used both as a railroad and highway bridge. The business of the Vermont Construction
Co. is constantly extending, and the company is one of the foremost in its line in the country.

WILLARD MANUFACTURING CO.

This industry was started in Swanton, Vt., in 1884, and removed to St. Albans in 1885. In 1886 it was incorporated.
The company manufacture the Eclipse overall, overshirts of various grades, coats for office wear, seersucker coats
and vests, and water proof sporting suits; Puritan hose supporters, shoulder brace and hose supporters combined,
Lunar bandage supporters, and other specialties for ladies, misses and children. The company also make the Dodge
patent suspender, and the Willard patent tub fastener. Employment is given to about Too hands.

ST. ALBANS COOLING COMPOUND CO.

This company manufacture a mineral compound for hot boxes on railroad cars and over heated bearings of any description.
The compound is in use on all New England railroads and is shipped largely to the West. Railroad men are profuse
in its praise.

FONDA'S LIME KILNS.

W. B. Fonda, manufacturer of lime, operates six kilns, about four miles from St. Albans. The supply of rock
is practically inexhaustible. About 120,000 barrels of lime are produced annually, the market being in all parts
of New England.

NATIONAL CAR CO.

This company has a capital of $3,000,000, and owns 4000 freight cars which run over the entire United States,
and are known as the " National Despatch." The office of the company is located in St. Albans, in the
depot building. The officers are: Jas. R. Langdon, Montpelier, President; F. Stewart Stranahan, Secretary and Treasurer;
J. B. Fletcher, Superintendent. The directors are: J. R. Langdon, Montpelier; Jo D. Hatch, Burlington; M. Hall
Stanton, Philadelphia, Pa.; Gilman Cheney, Montreal; E. C. Smith, St. Albans; H. L. Millis, Boston; H. Brainerd,
St. Albans.

From:
Advantages, Resources and Attraction of
St. Albans, VT.
Published for the Board of Trade
1889